We are truly blessed to live in a wonderful, caring and compassionate city – something which I am proud to tell residents about on a daily basis.

We have had a brilliant summer in Worcester and our High Street has been a buzz with shoppers and excitement.  So it’s no surprise that it has been shortlisted for the prestigious VISA Best High Street award! Judging took place on Wednesday and the results will be announced in early November.  The public element of the vote is vital – you can help by searching for #GBHSWorcester on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and re-tweeting or sharing posts that come up.

It was a pleasure to host the Deputy Lord Lieutenant at a British Empire medal awarding ceremony at the majestic Guildhall this week.  It’s always heartening to see residents recognised for their years of service to the city; well done to Worcester resident Mrs Cecilia Denlegh-Maxwell for her services to the community.

I teamed up with County Council Chairman Brandon Clayton for a visit to Acorns Hospice.  They have done amazing work over the years, and are now celebrating their 30th birthday in Worcester. The charity has beautiful facilities and provides an excellent service.

It was an honour to team up with veterans later in the week, and enjoy a coffee at the breakfast club in the Postal Order.  We had a catch-up on the good work that is being done to help them – as well as the reintegration issues they face, and their battles with mental health.

This week I also had the pleasure of attending the Worcester Stands Tall auction, where the beautiful giraffes that brought so much joy and happiness to the city were auctioned off individually.  A staggering £210,000 was raised for St Richards Hospice.  All credit to the organisers of this initiative, which attracted so many new tourists to Worcester from across the nation!

As always, I am grateful for the opportunity to see so many fantastic people and attend their events in this great City.